BBC Radio 1 Top 40 Will Now Include Spotify Streams

Getting to the top of the Radio 1 Top 40 chart will no longer be simply down to the number of CDs or downloads a band shifts, with streams from Spotify and other online services now also being taken into account.

It's a move that record industry top dogs have been keen to avoid, further eroding the perceived value of buying a record, with streamed plays worth considerably less to artists and labels than an actual purchase of a song or album. But Radio 1's move makes sense: with an increasing number of music fans listening to songs solely through streaming services, how accurate a representation of the taste of the nation can a chart be that ignores streams? [Guardian]